Customer Reviews

Lebanese Cuisine: More Than 250 Authentic Recipes From The Most Elegant Middle Eastern Cuisine

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This book fell short of my expectations. I have tried many of the recipes and doubt that I would make any of them again. Some recipes don't work at all. Both the Pomegranate Syrup Sauce and Candied Apricot Ice Cream sounded interesting but yielded results that were virtually inedible. Also, there are no recipes for basic items such as pita and marqouq bread or for many favorite preparations like artichokes in olive oil, grilled or fried trout, maqloubi, roast lamb, stuffed turkey (a Christmas tradition in Lebanon), pine nut sauce, khoushaf, and barazik.

Readers cannot gain an overview of Lebanese cuisine from this book. There is no information on daily meals and no menus. In her discussion of appetizers, Ms. Helou doesn't explain the philosophy behind the partaking of mezze or that it is customarily accompanied with araq in Christian communities. Although the author includes recipes for fried and scrambled eggs as well as a recipe for an Arab omelet, she says nothing about hard-cooked or poached eggs or the local version of the French omelet, all of which are prepared in delicious and unusual ways. She also neglects to explain how the Arab omelet differs from the French one. In her chapter on fish, Ms. Helou fails to mention the varieties of saltwater fish favored by the Lebanese, for example Sultan Ibrahim (red mullet). Nor is there any mention of the much-prized flat lobsters. There is also nothing said about the country's freshwater fish (such as trout) or about frogs' legs, snails, or batarekh (boutargue). In her discussion of desserts, the author neglects to mention that Tripoli has long been celebrated for its sweets, that nammoura is a specialty of Zahleh, and that Sidon is famous for sanyoura and barazik.

There is little or no information on such ingredients as pomegranates and pomegranate molasses or syrup, grape molasses, fresh nuts in season (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios), fresh green chickpeas, fava (broad) beans, skinless whole-grain wheat, phyllo pastry, soapwort, and sumac juice. Furthermore, some of the ingredient information is incorrect. For instance, habbat al-barakeh (nigella) is wrongly identified as black cumin (a common error), shirsh el-halaweh (soapwort) as bois de Panama, and very fine bulgur (sreyseerah) is more than once referred to as f'reyfeerah.

There are other inconsistencies. For example, Ms. Helou writes that stuffed vegetables are always served with a bowl of yogurt. Actually, those that contain a vegetarian stuffing based on rice and olive oil are not customarily accompanied with it. A recipe for potato pie, which contains no bulgur and has nothing to do with potato kibbeh, is wrongly identified as Kibbet Batatah!

Don't be misled by the jacket reviews of this book. Regrettably, it is neither "fully comprehensive" nor a "major work."

The recipes in this book will add an exotic touch to any dinner. You will impress your guests with the wonderfully tasty dishes as well as find recipes you can easily prepare everyday. One of my absolute favorites is the greenbeans with tomatoes this is the perfect dish with our August tomatoes. And I love the way the honest flavors of the foods shine with the Lebanese touch.

Authentic recipes just like grandma's!!!! A truly Lebanese cookbook! Lebanese food does differ from others of the middle east and this author explains how and why. While there are good middle eastern foods and cookbooks, this is the one if you want a true Lebanese cookbook !

The recipes in this book will add an exotic touch to any dinner. You will impress your guests with the wonderfully tasty dishes as well as find recipes you can easily prepare everyday. One of my absolute favorites is the greenbeans with tomatoes this is the perfect dish with our August tomatoes. And I love the way the honest flavors of the foods shine with the Lebanese touch.

With its emphasis on grains, dried legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, and olive oil, the Lebanese diet is a nutritious one that provides the health-conscious cook with many appealing choices. This book presents recipes for wholesome and satisfying traditional dishes adapted for the modern kitchen. They cover all courses of the meal and range from rustic to elegant. Some of the dishes, as to be expected, are complicated and labor intensive, but the majority are simple to prepare and demand no special culinary skills. Most of the ingredients are available in supermarkets, and the food is not expensive.

Also recommended: "Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen: A Culinary Journey through Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan," by Sonia Uvezian. This landmark volume is an indispensable addition to the library of anyone interested in Middle Eastern cooking.

A wonderful book that delves into the beauty and art of Lebanese cooking

I can't wait to try all of these recipes - I have finally found a book that has all the wonderful lebonese food my grandmother makes...need I say more? :)